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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]DD asked for my help coming up with a system to compare acceptance offers holistically the way colleges compare students. Together, we came up with a matrix that may be useful to others.

Factors: Academics, Outcomes/ROI, Cost, Student/Faculty Ratio, Major, Minor/ECs, Campus, Community, Distance
Importance/Weight: Very important (5), important (4), considered (3)
Scale: 1 (worst), 2, 3 (best)
Colleges: She received six offers

First, we (DD, DH, and DW) decided together on what factors to consider and then each of us weighted them slightly differently. For example, DD and I gave Student/Faculty Ratio a Very Important (5) but DH weighted it as Important (4). We all ranked Cost as Very Important and Distance (from home) as Considered. Other factors varied in importance.

Scores were also very different. We created a spreadsheet to compare. It was a great exercise to talk about priorities together and ensure everyone felt heard. In the end, we let DD choose and she felt really confident about her choice. DH and I also felt good about it, even though it was the most expensive option.

How are you comparing offers?[/quote]

Besides finances, you let your kid decide.  And in reality the financial aspect should have been discussed in detail a long time ago (before applying)

You want them to succeed, and when they have issues freshman year (trust me, they will have some issues) the last thing you want is them "blaming mom or dad for forcing me to come to this college"

[/quote]

Finances were discussed initially, private schools that didn't offer merit never made the list, a budget range was set, then financial offers compared when received.

The choice was DD's, but she needed help comparing. If our rankings came out very different, we would have talked about it, but it still would have been her informed choice. In the end, our rankings were mostly the same, which was validating and eased some of DD's stress, especially given the cost of the preferred option. While it was at the high end of our price range ([b]we wouldn't have let her apply otherwise[/b]), we all agreed it was worth it.

[/quote]

Sorry this was unclear. We wouldn't have let her apply if the school hadn't been in our price range, although it was at the high end.[/quote]

I'm the PP: totally get what you mean!  So many parents do not do that---they want to let their kid see where they get into, let them fall in love with a T25, when the parents know they won't get FA and they cannot really afford the $90K+/year.  and IMO, you don't let your kid do that or get excited about schools you know you cannot afford (and ones like T25 that really do NOT give merit--20 merit awards at a school that admits 2K students is not really giving merit---odds of your kid getting that are slim to none, even lower than them being admitted) And I find parents who do that then also don't really ensure their kid has good targets and safeties.  IMO, it's not a target or safety (or really a reach either) if you know you wont' be able to afford it.  [/quote]

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